What is Catholic social teaching? |
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It has been called "Catholicism's best kept secret," because few people learned about Catholic social teaching growing up, even though it the Bible is filled with examples and history shows repeatedly how it has played out in every culture and every time. This series will offer Catholic social teaching's seven themes, as identified by the US bishops. It will include stories about how the bishops of Tucson, dating back to their earliest days, put those basic teachings into practice. There will also be stories identifying ways that Catholics today can live out the social teaching of the church in their own lives. |
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Theme 5The Dignity of Work and the Rights of WorkersThe economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God's creation. If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected - the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to the organization and joining of unions, to private property, and to economic initiative.
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Theme 6SolidarityWe are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic and ideological differences. We are our brothers and sisters' keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world. At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace. Pope Paul VI taught that if you want peace, work for justice. The Gospel calls us to be peacemakers. Our love for all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict. |
VATICAN CITY — Loving wealth destroys the soul, and cheating people of their just wages and benefits is a mortal sin, Pope Francis said.
Jesus did not mince words when he said, "Woe to you who are rich," after listing the Beatitudes as written according to St. Luke, the pope said in a morning homily.
If anyone today "were to preach like that, the newspapers the next day (would say), 'That priest is a communist!' But poverty is at the heart of the Gospel," Pope Francis said.
Celebrating Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae May 24, 2018, Pope Francis focused his homily on the day's first reading from the Letter of James (5:1-6) in which the apostle scolds the rich. Not only has their wealth "rotted away," the decay and corrosion of their material possessions "will be a testimony against you" on judgment day, the passage says.
James criticized employers who withheld wages from their workers, the pope said, and those workers' cries reached the ears of the Lord.
People today mistakenly might think James is "a union representative," Pope Francis said, but he is an apostle whose words were inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Even in Italy, there are those who leave people out of work to protect their assets, but whoever does this, "Woe to you!" not according to the pope, but according to Jesus, he said.
Jesus, he said, is the one who says, "Woe to you who exploit people, who exploit labor, who pay under the table, who don't pay pension contributions, who don't offer vacation days. Woe to you!"
Wage theft, like "skimming" from people's paychecks, "is a sin; it is a sin," the pope said, even if the employer goes to Mass every day, belongs to Catholic associations and prays novenas.
When an employer doesn't pay what is due, he said, "this injustice is a mortal sin. You are not in God's grace. I'm not saying this, Jesus says it, the Apostle James says it."
The condemnation is severe because "wealth is idolatry" that seduces people, and Jesus knew people could not serve two masters - they must choose either God or money, Pope Francis said.
...even if the employer goes to Mass every day, belongs to Catholic associations and prays novenas"
Wealth "grabs you and doesn't let you go, and it goes against the first commandment" to love God with all one's heart, he said.
It also goes against the second commandment to love one's neighbor, he said, because a love of wealth "destroys the harmonious relationship between us" and "makes us selfish," he said. It "ruins life, ruins the soul."
"Preaching about poverty is at the heart of Jesus' preaching. 'Blessed are the poor' is the first beatitude," he said, and poverty is central to how Jesus identifies himself when he returns to Nazareth and preaches in the synagogue: "The Spirit is upon me, I have been sent to proclaim the Gospel, the Good News, glad tidings to the poor."
"But throughout history we have always had this weakness of trying to remove this teaching about poverty, believing it to be a social (issue), politics. No! It is pure Gospel," the pope said.
Wealth can turn people into slaves, Pope Francis said, therefore, "pray a bit more and do a bit more penance" for the rich.
"To be free before wealth you must step back and pray to the Lord," he said. "If the Lord gave you wealth, it is for giving it to others, to do many good things for others in his name."
Editor's note: There has been no greater local example during the last decade of a person living out the call for global solidarity than Bishop emeritus Gerald F. Kicanas. When he was appointed chairman in 2010, he said, "To be able to serve the poor is any bishop's greatest hope. What a privilege it is to be a part of the hand and heart of the Church in the US that reaches out to the poor worldwide on behalf of all Catholics in our country." Although he no longer serves on the board, the bishop emeritus continues to travel extensively on its behalf, reminding people in the world's darkest corners that Catholics in America have not forgotten them. Below is his reflection from last summer's visit to Afghanistan.
By Bishop emeritus Gerald F. Kicanas
Afghans are war weary. The conflicts have taken the lives of countless innocent people. Many have been displaced; yet, internal conflicts continue in many parts of the country, often involving longstanding tribal rivalries over land. Despite a respite this year after Ramadan (May 15-June 14) when the Taliban and government troops joined hands and announced a ceasefire, ISIS broke that moment of calm and the struggle has returned.
Amid the conflict, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) reaches out to the Afghan people, especially those living in the remote rural areas of the central highlands. People living in these tiny villages suffered greatly from the Taliban's restrictive reign that ended here in 2002. CRS' Livelihood Program helps farmers increase their potato and wheat productivity and explores opportunities for them to market their surplus.
CRS has opened community schools in these rural communities. Illiteracy among women is still prevalent, especially in remote areas where a child might walk more than nine miles roundtrip to get to their government school. While families might allow their sons to walk that distance, their daughters are held back.
In most places, CRS works through partnerships with local agencies. In Afghanistan, CRS implements the Livelihood and Education programs on their own because of the lack of local partners.
This summer, I spent five days in Afghanistan witnessing the work of CRS. We began in Kabul, the Afghan capital, where CRS sponsors a school for children who are deaf. It was started by a man who himself is deaf and blind. It was inspiring to see how he brought education to children who have been shut out of the system. There were more than 500 children in the school. Many teachers were also students there. I was inspired by the students' eagerness and excitement to show me their sign language skills. Accepted and valued here, their spirits soared.
The Missionaries of Charity operate a food distribution center in Kabul which also serves as a home for severely disabled children. The work of this community always amazes. The members are restricted to their home and can rarely go out into the street. Three of the four sisters have served there for 12 years. What a challenge that must be.
Most of our time, however, was spent in the central highlands where CRS has most of its programming.
We traveled along mostly unpaved roads to reach two small villages, Yakawlang and Dar e Chasht. On the way, we passed through stunning vistas, similar to what I see traveling around Arizona. There were lush tree-lined farms in the valleys, standing out against the arid mountain backdrop.
These areas are relatively safe since the Taliban left. Afghanistan is an Islamic state comprised predominantly of people who practice Islam. Although many were Sunni, those living in the areas we visited were Shia.
The community schools in the villages operate in the summer and spring. Winters are so severe and the snows so heavy that everything shuts down. CRS recruits and trains teachers to serve here, and in most cases, children have not had any education.
Children vary greatly in ages from 10-18, and gather in one-room classrooms, oftentimes in the local mosque.
It was exciting to see their eagerness in learning and their parents expressed profound gratitude to CRS for providing an opportunity for their children to get an education they would not otherwise have available.
CRS needs additional funding to expand these community schools; there are still about three million children in Afghanistan with no access to education.
CRS helps farmers grow potatoes and wheat. Previously, many of the stored potatoes ended up rotten. Then CRS introduced ventilation into the storage pits and greatly reduced the damage.
CRS has introduced kitchen, or "backyard," gardens and "key hole" gardens (a waist-high raised bed that protects crops from being eaten by animals). The farmers now grow a range of vegetables like cauliflower, shallots, spinach and carrots. Previously, people's diets were very limited.
CRS also has introduced new methodologies for animal care. It added light and ventilation into storage buildings.
In meeting with members of the village shura (community leaders), we heard repeatedly how grateful the villagers are for CRS' work.
The greatest joy of these five days was meeting parents who only want to enhance their children's lives. They are proud to be Afghan and want a chance to live in peace.
We join in prayer that their desire will be fulfilled.
Michael Johnson remembered the grateful look on the Ajo man's face when he received the wheelchair. It meant he no longer need to use a mechanic's trolley to get around.
Jose Ralls is operations manager for Southwest Medical Aid (SMA), a non-denominational non-profit that redistributes donated medical goods to people who need them through its community partners.
For Ralls, one memorable moment came when a woman picked up a hospital bed for her husband. He had been needing one for years but could not afford it. As Ralls helped load it into a truck, he recalled seeing the tears of gratitude trickle down the woman's face. "All she wanted was to do something to make her husband feel more comfortable."
SMA was founded by the lay Salvatorians Jan Izlar and her husband Jim in 2001 and operates still with a strong Salvatorian influence, which includes Johnson, a lay Salvatorian who currently serves as board president. He calls SMA "the best kept secret in Tucson."
Ralls said donations come from individuals and groups, including the 3000 Club, a large Tucson non-profit which has agreements with local hospitals to collect and distribute overstocked items or those nearing an expiration date.
The items are distributed to local groups, including El Rio Health Center, Gospel Rescue Mission, Most Holy Trinity Parish, Reachout Women's Center and the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
SMA operates on a shoestring, Ralls said, and all positions, including his own, are filled by volunteers.
Their facility is about one-third office and two-thirds storage, with "durable goods" – such as racks of crutches and rows of commodes - ready for the taking. Another area houses bins of sorted single-use or short use materials – such as syringes, sample bottles and elastic bandages – that will be collected for special needs boxes stored in another part of the facility.
Ralls said that the ministry has options on another nearby storage site; however, he would rather see the inventory move out as quickly as it comes in.
"An empty warehouse is a happy warehouse," he said.
Ralls has been working at SMA for about 18 months. When he started out, he was helping to inventory the special needs boxes, volunteering about 20 hours a week. However, when the previous executive directors stepped down earlier this year, the board asked him to step in, increasing his hours to 30-35 per week.
A retired government executive, Ralls admitted he knew little about durable medical goods or much of the medical paraphernalia that volunteer nurses sort through each week.
"You know what this is?" he asked, pointing to a wheeled aid that serves as a seat and a walker for seniors who might have problems with walking or balance. "This is a rollator. You see them all the time, but I never knew what it was called."
Individuals will drop items off if the user has died or no longer needs the item. Wheelchairs are in special demand, and fortunately, are a frequent donation. Ralls added that the ministry can't accept damaged products because it does not have a shop or skilled personnel available to repair them.
In even greater demand is a motorized wheelchair, but when those come in, they either need repair or a new battery, which SMA cannot afford, Ralls said.
SMA counts on its local partners to screen recipients for need, physical and financial, to ensure that the poor have access to the medical items.
The Most Holy Trinity Parish office in Tucson said that they may get calls once or twice a month and forward the information to SMA and the supplies are usually available.
"For a lot of people, they have to scrape up the money to see the doctor, but then have nothing left to pay for the equipment they need," Ralls said.
SMA's only requirement in distributing the medical equipment is that recipients don't sell it. If there comes a time when they no longer need it, they should return it or give it to someone else who needs it, Ralls said.
Johnson, who has made three medical mission trips to Tanzania and once studied to be a Salvatorian priest, said SMA maintains a strong relationship with the Salvatorian Mission Warehouse, which operates a 25,000 square foot stockroom in Wisconsin. Its mission is to assist communities overseas, and in 2017, it sent 43 containers to 35 missions in 16 countries. SMA supplies some of the medical goods that Salvatorian Mission Warehouse distributes internationally.
About 51 percent of the requests filled by SMA come from Southern Arizona, with another 21 percent going to local aid groups traveling to Mexico. In 2017-18, SMA distributed more than 51,000 pounds of materials valued at $2.3 million.
Ralls and Johnson stated that SMA does not accept prescription medication because it would require compliance with myriad government regulations.
What the ministry needs is more visibility, Ralls said. He recently met with officials from the Tucson Fire Department, who spoke to him about the high volume of rescue runs for people calling in with high blood pressure. As a result, SMA assembled blood pressure kits that allowed people to take their own readings, which translated into earlier treatment and fewer call outs for the fire department.
Ralls said that the ministry is in need for cash donations to help cover the rent and peripheral services. It can also use more volunteers. Their hours are Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
For more information about Southwest Medical Aid, call (520) 622-2938 or email sma@southwestmedicalaid.org.
By Michael Brown
Managing Editor
Catholic social teaching is not new to the faith, nor was it foreign to the spiritual leaders who served the Diocese of Tucson. Below is the third part of a series showing how the bishops practiced Catholic social teaching during their time.
Francis Joseph Green was born July 7, 1906, in Corning, N.Y., but moved to Prescott, AZ, following his father's death in 1911. He attended St. Joseph Academy and was encouraged by the religious sisters to enter the seminary. He began studies at St. Joseph College in Mountain View, Calif., and completed them at St. Patrick Seminary in Menlo Park, Calif. He was ordained a priest on May 15, 1932. Following initial assignments, he was appointed pastor at Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Tucson, later given the title of "monsignor" and served as vicar general for the Diocese of Tucson.
In 1953, he was appointed as an auxiliary bishop under Bishop Daniel J. Gercke, then as coadjutor before succeeding his predecessor on Sept. 28, 1960.
Bishop Green attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council from 1962-65.
Besides implementing the reforms of the council, Bishop Green expanded programs that provided for the poor, restructuring diocesan Catholic Charities into Catholic Community Services. He added St. Elizabeth Health Center and erected other health care facilities in Nogales, Phoenix and Tucson. Bishop Green also engaged in inter-religious dialogue to address important civic issues.
In keeping with Vatican II reforms, he reinstituted the diaconate locally with one of the stated goals being an increased presence in prison ministry. He also expanded CCS efforts refugee resettlement. He submitted his resignation as required by canon law at age 75, and it was accepted on July 28, 1981. He died 13 years later.
His successor, Bishop Manuel D. Moreno, was born on Nov. 27, 1930, in Placentia, Calif., the son of migrant Mexican farmworkers. He wanted to pursue a career in business and graduated from UCLA in 1953 with a degree in business administration. Shortly after graduation, he entered the seminary, after discerning a significant need for Hispanic priests. He attended Our Lady Queen of Angels Seminary in San Fernando, Calif., and St. John Seminary in Camarillo, Calif. He was ordained a priest on April 25, 1961, for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Fifteen years later, he was appointed as an auxiliary bishop there, before his appointment as the fifth Bishop of Tucson on Jan. 12, 1982.
Bishop Moreno sent an immediate message by holding his installation Mass in the historic San Xavier Mission, instead of St. Augustine Cathedral. His focus afterward was on evangelization and lay leadership development, especially among Hispanics. He also worked on efforts to assist Mexican migrants facing moral and social challenges in Arizona. He established a Catholic Social Mission Office in the Diocese.
Because of illness, he resigned on March 7, 2003, and died three years later.
RERUM NOVARUM ON CAPITAL AND LABOR 1891
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIII
http://w2.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_15051891_rerum-novarum.html
QUADRAGESIMO ANNO ON RECONSTRUCTION OF THE SOCIAL ORDER 1931
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS XI
http://w2.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_19310515_quadragesimo-anno.html
MATER ET MAGISTRA ON CHRISTIANITY AND SOCIAL PROGRESS 1961
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE JOHN XXIII
http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-xxiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_j-xxiii_enc_15051961_mater.html
PACEM IN TERRIS ON ESTABLISHING UNIVERSAL PEACE IN TRUTH, JUSTICE, CHARITY, AND LIBERTY 1963
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE JOHN XXIII
http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-xxiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_j-xxiii_enc_11041963_pacem.html
POPULORUM PROGRESSIO ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLES 1967
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_26031967_populorum.html
OCTOGESIMA ADVENIENS EIGHTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF RERUM NOVARUM 1971
APOSTOLIC LETTER OF POPE PAUL VI
http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_letters/documents/hf_p-vi_apl_19710514_octogesima-adveniens.html
LABOREM EXERCENS ON THE NINETIETH ANNIVERSARY OF RERUM NOVARUM 1981
APOSTOLIC LETTER OF POPE JOHN PAUL II
http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_14091981_laborem-exercens.html
CENTESIMUS ANNUS ON THE HUNDRETH ANNIVERSARY OF RERUM NOVARUM 1991
ENCYCLICAL BY POPE JOHN PAUL II
http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_01051991_centesimus-annus.html
COMPENDIUM OF THE SOCIAL DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH 2004
PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html
LAUDATO SI' ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME 2015
ENCYCLICAL BY POPE FRANCIS
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html
ENCYCLICAL OF ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH DIMITRIOS FOR THE INDICTION AND DAY OF PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 1989
https://www.patriarchate.org/-/message-by-h-a-h-ecumenical-patriarch-dimitrios-upon-the-day-of-prayer-for-the-protection-of-creation-01-09-1989-
BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO US 1979
PASTORAL LETTER ON RACISM
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/cultural-diversity/african-american/brothers-and-sisters-to-us.cfm
BISHOPS' STATEMENT ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, 1980
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/death-penalty-capital-punishment/statement-on-capital-punishment.cfm
THE CHALLENGE OF PEACE: GOD'S PROMISE AND OUR RESPONSE 1983
A PASTORAL LETTER ON WAR AND PEACE
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/war-and-peace/nuclear-weapons/upload/statement-the-challenge-of-peace-1983-05-03.pdf
ECONOMIC JUSTICE FOR ALL 1986
PASTORAL LETTER ON CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING AND THE U.S. ECONOMY
http://www.usccb.org/upload/economic_justice_for_all.pdf
WELCOMING THE STRANGER AMONG US: UNITY IN DIVERSITY 2000
STATEMENT ON IMMIGRATION
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/cultural-diversity/pastoral-care-of-migrants-refugees-and-travelers/resources/welcoming-the-stranger-among-us-unity-in-diversity.cfm
RESPONSIBILITY, REHABILITATION, AND RESTORATION: A CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE ON CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE 2000
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/criminal-justice-restorative-justice/crime-and-criminal-justice.cfm
FORMING CONSCIENCES FOR FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP A CALL TO POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITY 2015
FROM THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF THE UNITED STATES WITH INTRODUCTORY NOTE
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/upload/forming-consciences-for-faithful-citizenship.pdf
OTHER KEY RESOURCES
POPE PAUL'S ADDRESS TO THE UNITED NATIONS 1965
https://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/speeches/1965/documents/hf_p-vi_spe_19651004_united-nations.html
CELAM CONFERENCE AT MEDELLIN 1968
http://www.povertystudies.org/TeachingPages/EDS_PDFs4WEB/Medellin%20Document-%20Poverty%20of%20the%20Church.pdf
CONFERENCE AT PUEBLA 1979
http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/speeches/1979/january/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19790128_messico-puebla-episc-latam.html
¿Qué es la enseñanza social católica? |
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Se le ha llamado "el secreto mejor guardado del catolicismo" porque no son muchas las personas que crecieron aprendiendo la enseñanza social católica, a pesar de que la Biblia está repleta de ejemplos, y la historia muestra una y otra vez cómo se ha manifestado en todas las culturas y en todos los tiempos. Esta serie ofrece los siete temas de la enseñanza social católica, identificados por los obispos de EE. UU. Se incluirán narraciones de cómo los obispos de Tucson, desde el principio, pusieron en práctica esas enseñanzas básicas en nuestro medio. También se presentarán artículos sobre diferentes maneras en que los católicos de hoy pueden aplicar la enseñanza social de la Iglesia en su vida diaria.
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Tema 5La Dignidad del Trabajo y Los Derechos de Los TrabajadoresLa economía debe servir al pueblo y no al revés. El trabajo es más que una forma de ganarse la vida, es una forma de participar continuamente en la creación de Dios. Si se ha de proteger la dignidad del trabajo, entonces debe respetarse los derechos básicos de los trabajadores-el derecho a un trabajo productive, a salaries adecuados y justos, a organizar sindicatos y a unirse a ellos, a la propiedad privada y a la iniciativa económica. |
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Tema 6La SolidaridadSomos una familia humana cualesquiera que sean nuestras diferencias nacionales, raciales, étnicas, económicas e ideológicas. Somos los custodies de nuestros hermanos y hermanas dondequiera que se encuentren. Amar a nuestro prójimo tiene dimensiones globales en un mundo cada vez más pequeñio. En el mero centro de la virtud de la solidaridad está la búsqueda de la justicia y la paz. El Papa Paulo VI nos dijo: "si quieres paz, trabaja por la justicia". El Evangelia nos llama a ser pacificadores. Nuestro amor por todos nuestros hermanos y hermanas exige que fomentemos la paz en un mundo rodeado de violencia y conflicto. |
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO — Jesús no midió sus palabras cuando dijo "ay de ustedes los ricos", después de enumerar las bienaventuranzas según escrito por san Lucas, dijo el papa durante una homilía matutina.
Si alguien hoy día "hiciese hoy una homilía así, en los periódicos del día siguiente dirían: 'Ese cura es comunista'. La pobreza está en el centro del Evangelio", dijo el papa Francisco.
Celebrando Misa en la capilla de la Casa Santa Marta el 24 de mayo, el papa Francisco enfocó su homilía en la primera lectura de la Carta de Santiago (5:1-6), donde el apóstol regaña a los ricos. No solo su riqueza "está podrida", la descomposición y la corrosión de sus posesiones materiales "dará testimonio contra ustedes" el día del juicio, dice el pasaje.
El papa dijo que Santiago criticó a los patronos que no pagaron a sus trabajadores y los reclamos de esos trabajadores llegaron a oídos del Señor.
La gente podría pensar erróneamente que Santiago es "un sindicalista", dijo el papa Francisco, pero él es un apóstol cuyas palabras fueron inspiradas por el Espíritu Santo.
Hasta en Italia hay aquellos que despojan a personas de sus trabajos para proteger sus bienes, pero a quienes hacen eso "¡ay de ustedes!", no según el papa, sino según Jesús, él dijo.
La mayoría de las recomendaciones llegan de los distritos escolares, de inquilinos y de personal de Pío Décimo que asiste a los sintecho de la comunidad.
Él dijo que Jesús es el que dice "ay de ustedes que abusan de la gente, que explotan el trabajo, que pagan en negro, que no pagan la aportación a las pensiones, que no dan vacaciones. ¡Ay de ustedes!"
El robo de salarios, igual que "descuentos" de salario, "es pecado, es pecado", dijo el papa, aunque el patrono vaya a Misa todos los días, pertenezca a asociaciones católicas y rece novenas.
Él dijo que cuando un patrono no paga lo que se debe "esa injusticia es pecado mortal. No estás en gracia de Dios. No lo digo yo, lo dice Jesús, lo dice el apóstol Santiago".
La condena es severa porque "las riquezas son una idolatría" que seduce a la gente y Jesús sabía que la gente no puede servirle a dos señores; tienen que escoger a Dios o al dinero, dijo el papa.
"La riqueza te agarra y no te suelta, yendo contra el primer mandamiento: amar a Dios con todo el corazón", él dijo.
Él dijo que también va en contra del segundo mandamiento de amar al prójimo porque las riquezas "destruyen el trato armonioso entre los hombres, arruinan la vida, arruinan el alma".
"La predicación sobre la pobreza está en el centro de la predicación de Jesús. 'Bienaventurados los pobres' es la primera bienaventuranza", él dijo, y la pobreza es central en cómo Jesús se identifica cuando regresa a Nazaret y predica en la sinagoga: "El Espíritu del Señor está sobre mí, porque me ha ungido para dar buenas nuevas a los pobres".
"Pero siempre en la historia hemos tenido la debilidad de intentar eliminar esa predicación sobre la pobreza, creyendo que es algo social, político. ¡No! Es Evangelio puro", dijo el papa.
La riqueza puede convertir a la gente en esclavos, dijo el papa Francisco, por lo tanto "animo a hacer un poco más de oración y un poco más de penitencia" por los ricos.
"No eres libre ante las riquezas. Para serlo, debes tomar distancia y rezar al Señor", él dijo. "Si el Señor te ha dado riquezas es para darlas a los demás, para hacer en su nombre tantas cosas buenas por los demás".
Nota del editor: En la última década no ha habido en nuestra comunidad un mejor ejemplo de vivir el llamado a la solidaridad mundial que el obispo emérito Gerald F. Kicanas. Cuando fue nombrado presidente de CRS en el año 2010, dijo: «Servir a los pobres es la esperanza más grande de todo obispo. Es un gran privilegio ser parte del corazón y la mano que la Iglesia de Estados Unidos extiende hacia los pobres de todo el mundo en nombre de los católicos del país». Aunque ya no es miembro de la mesa directiva de CRS, el obispo continúa viajando en su nombre para recordarles a los pueblos de los rincones más oscuros del mundo que los católicos de Estados Unidos no los han olvidado. A continuación publicamos sus reflexiones sobre su visita a Afganistán el verano pasado.
Por el obispo emérito Gerald F. Kicanas
Los afganos están cansados de la guerra. Los conflictos se han cobrado la vida de innumerables inocentes. Muchas personas se han visto desplazadas en un país donde las hostilidades internas continúan afectando a varias regiones, a menudo a causa de rivalidades de tribus que desde hace tiempo se disputan territorios. A pesar de que este año hubo un respiro después del Ramadán (15 de mayo al 14 de junio) cuando el Talibán y las tropas del gobierno se dieron la mano y anunciaron un cese al fuego, ISIS quebró ese momento de calma y ha habido un retorno a la lucha.
En medio del conflicto, la agencia Catholic Relief Services (CRS) se acerca al pueblo afgano, especialmente a aquellos que viven en zonas rurales remotas de las tierras altas centrales. La gente que vive en esas pequeñas aldeas ha sufrido enormemente a causa del régimen restrictivo del Talibán, que llegó a su fin allí en 2002. Los programas de asistencia de CRS ayudan a los agricultores a aumentar la productividad de sus plantaciones de patatas y trigo, y a acceder a mercados donde pueden vender el excedente de sus cosechas.
CRS ha abierto escuelas comunitarias en estos pueblos rurales. El analfabetismo todavía es prevalente entre las mujeres, especialmente en las áreas más remotas, donde un niño tiene que caminar más de nueve millas de ida y vuelta para asistir a la escuela del gobierno. Las familias les permiten a los varones que recorran esa distancia, pero a las niñas no.
En la mayoría de los países, CRS trabaja colaborando con agencias locales. En Afganistán, CRS implementa los programas de asistencia y educación por su cuenta porque no hay con quién colaborar.
Este verano yo pasé cinco días en Afganistán observando el trabajo de CRS. Comenzamos en Kabul, la capital del país, donde CRS patrocina una escuela para niños sordos iniciada por un hombre sordo y ciego. Es toda una inspiración ver cómo él logró poner la educación al alcance de estos niños excluidos del sistema. Hay más de 500 niños en la escuela, y varios de los maestros también fueron estudiantes allí. Fue maravilloso ver el ímpetu y el entusiasmo con que los niños me mostraban lo que habían aprendido del lenguaje de señas. Allí, al sentirse aceptados y valorados, su espíritu se ha transformado.
Las misioneras de la caridad manejan un centro de distribución de comestibles en Kabul, que también sirve como hogar para niños con discapacidades graves. La labor de esta comunidad siempre me deja sorprendido. Las integrantes están limitadas a su hogar y rara vez pueden salir a la calle. Tres de las cuatro hermanas han servido allí desde hace 12 años. ¡Qué difícil debe de ser!
Nuestro grupo pasó la mayor parte del tiempo en las tierras altas centrales donde CRS ofrece la mayor parte de sus programas.
Para llegar a dos pequeñas aldeas, Yakawlang y Dar e Chasht, viajamos mayormente por caminos sin pavimentar. Durante el trayecto, pasamos por paisajes deslumbrantes, similares a los que he visto viajando en Arizona. Vimos granjas exuberantes bordeadas de árboles en los valles, destacándose contra un fondo de montañas áridas.
Estas regiones son relativamente seguras porque el Talibán se ha ido. Afganistán es un estado islámico compuesto predominantemente por gente que practica el islam. Aunque muchos de ellos son sunitas, los habitantes de las zonas que visitamos eran chiitas.
Las escuelas comunitarias de las aldeas operan en primavera y verano. Los inviernos son tan inclementes y las nevadas tan intensas que todo se cierra. CRS recluta y capacita maestros para estas escuelas donde, en la mayoría de los casos, los niños aún no han recibido educación.
Las edades de los alumnos oscilan entre los 10 y los 18 años. Todos se reúnen en un salón de clases generalmente ubicado en la mezquita local.
Fue muy emocionante ver el deseo de aprender de los niños y la gratitud profunda que los padres expresaban a CRS por brindarles a sus hijos la oportunidad de recibir una educación que de lo contrario estaría fuera de su alcance.
CRS necesita fondos adicionales para ampliar estas escuelas comunitarias; todavía hay alrededor de tres millones de niños en Afganistán que no tienen acceso a la educación.
CRS ayuda a los agricultores a cultivar patatas y trigo. Antes, muchas de las patatas que almacenaban se les pudrían. Cuando CRS introdujo la ventilación del producto almacenado, las pérdidas se redujeron considerablemente.
CRS les ha enseñado a sembrar huertas pequeñas en el fondo de las casas para que tengan alimentos al alcance, y a construir huertos en ojo de cerradura, que consisten en un bancal de cultivo elevado a la altura de la cintura para proteger los cultivos de animales que podrían comérselos. Ahora, los granjeros pueden cultivar una variedad de verduras y hortalizas como coliflor, chalotes, espinaca y zanahorias, y su dieta ya no es tan limitada como antes.
Además, CRS ha llevado a estas comunidades metodologías nuevas para el cuidado de los animales, y ha introducido el uso de la ventilación y la luz en los cobertizos de almacenamiento.
En nuestros encuentros con los líderes de las comunidades, oímos una y otra vez cuán agradecidos están por el trabajo de CRS.
La alegría más grande de estos cinco días fue conocer a padres de familia que solo buscan mejorar la vida de sus hijos. Están orgullosos de ser afganos y quieren tener la oportunidad de vivir en paz. Rezamos unidos para que su deseo se cumpla.
El ministerio Southwest Medical Aid (SMA) es una organización no denominacional sin fines de lucro que, bajo la dirección de Jose Ralls y a través de socios de la comunidad, distribuye suministros médicos a personas necesitadas.
En una ocasión memorable para Ralls, una mujer recibió una cama de hospital para su esposo. El hombre necesitaba la cama desde hacía años pero no podía comprarla. Ralls recuerda que cuando estaba cargando la cama para transportarla, vio que por el rostro de la mujer corrían lágrimas de gratitud. "Lo único que ella quería era algo que ayudara a su esposo a sentirse más cómodo".
SMA fue fundada por los salvatorianos laicos Jan Izlar y su esposo, Jim, en 2001, y aún es evidente la fuerte influencia salvatoriana, como la de Michael Johnson, un salvatoriano laico que actualmente preside la mesa directiva. Él se refiere a SMA como "el secreto mejor guardado de Tucson".
Johnson todavía recuerda la mirada de agradecimiento de un hombre de Ajo que recibió una silla de ruedas, y ya no tendría que valerse de un carrito de mecánico para ir de un lado a otro.
SMA recibe donaciones de particulares y de grupos, incluyendo el 3000 Club, una agencia sin fines de lucro de Tucson que tiene acuerdos con hospitales para recoger y distribuir suministros excedentes o con fecha de caducidad próxima.
Las donaciones se distribuyen a entidades locales, como el Centro de Salud El Río, la Misión Gospel Rescue, la Parroquia de la Santísima Trinidad, el Centro para mujeres Reachout y la Sociedad de San Vicente de Paul.
SMA funciona con lo mínimo, dijo Ralls, y todos los puestos, incluso el suyo, los ocupan voluntarios.
Las instalaciones son alrededor de un tercio oficina y dos tercios almacén de aparatos y accesorios médicos – como muletas y sillas con inodoro – disponibles inmediatamente. En otra área hay cajas con artículos descartables de un solo uso o de uso limitado – como jeringas, vendas elásticas y frascos para especímenes – que serán empaquetados para necesidades especiales y almacenados aparte.
Ralls dijo que el ministerio tiene la posibilidad de usar otro sitio cercano para almacenar donaciones, pero prefiere que todo se distribuya tan pronto como llega.
"Un almacén vacío es un almacén feliz", dijo.
Cuando Ralls comenzó a trabajar como voluntario en SMA hace 18 meses, ayudaba con el inventario de las cajas para necesidades especiales, unas 20 horas a la semana. Pero cuando los directores ejecutivos dimitieron este año hace unos meses, la mesa directiva le pidió a Ralls que asumiera el puesto y ahora él trabaja entre 30 y 35 horas a la semana.
Ralls se jubiló de un cargo ejecutivo en el gobierno, y sabía muy poco de dispositivos médicos duraderos o accesorios y suministros que las enfermeras voluntarias manejan todas las semanas.
"¿Sabes qué es esto?", preguntó Ralls señalando un aparato con asiento y rueditas para personas mayores con problemas de equilibrio o estabilidad. "Se ven por todas partes pero yo no sabía que les llaman andadores".
Hay quienes donan aparatos o equipo médico cuando la persona que los usaba ha fallecido o no los necesita más. Las sillas de ruedas siempre están en demanda y, afortunadamente, recibimos donaciones con bastante frecuencia. Ralls añadió que no pueden aceptar nada dañado porque el ministerio no tiene taller ni cuenta con personal capacitado para hacer reparaciones.
La demanda de sillas de ruedas motorizadas es aun mayor, pero las que recibimos necesitan batería nueva o algún arreglo, lo cual SMA no puede costear, dijo Ralls.
SMA cuenta con que sus socios locales evalúen las necesidades físicas y económicas de los solicitantes, para que los pobres tengan acceso a artículos médicos.
La oficina de la Parroquia de la Santísima Trinidad informa que reciben una o dos llamadas al mes, se comunican con SMA, y por lo general los artículos solicitados están disponibles.
"En muchos casos, la gente a duras penas logra reunir el dinero para la consulta con el médico, y no les queda para comprar el equipo que necesitan", dijo Ralls.
El único requisito de SMA para la distribución de equipo médico es que quien lo recibe no lo venda. En cuanto la persona ya no lo vaya a usar, debe devolverlo o dárselo a alguien que lo necesite.
Johnson, quien ha viajado tres veces a Tanzania en misiones médicas y había estudiado para ser sacerdote salvatoriano, dijo que SMA tiene una muy buena relación con el almacén de la Misión Salvatoriana, que maneja un depósito de 25,000 pies cuadrados en Wisconsin. Su propósito es asistir a comunidades del extranjero, y en 2017 envió 43 contenedores a 35 misiones en 16 países. SMA provee algunos de los suministros y equipos médicos que el almacén de la Misión Salvatoriana distribuye a otros países.
Alrededor del 51 por ciento de las solicitudes atendidas por SMA proceden del sur de Arizona, y un 21 por ciento corresponde a donaciones para grupos locales de auxilio que viajan a México. En 2017-18, SMA distribuyó más de 51,000 libras de materiales con un valor de $2.3 millones.
Ralls y Johnson indicaron que SMA no acepta medicamentos que requieren receta médica porque estos están controlados por un sinnúmero de reglamentos gubernamentales.
Lo que el ministerio necesita es más visibilidad, dice Ralls. Recientemente él se reunió con oficiales del Departamento de Bomberos de Tucson que le mencionaron el elevado número de llamadas de socorro de personas con hipertensión. SMA armó kits de aparatos y los distribuyó para que la gente pudiera tomarse la presión en casa. En consecuencia, las personas procuran tratamiento oportunamente y los bomberos reciben menos llamadas.
Ralls dijo que el ministerio necesita donaciones de efectivo para cubrir costos de servicios relacionados. También les ayudaría contar con más voluntarios. El horario es: martes a viernes, de 11 a.m. a 3 p.m.
Si necesita más información sobre Southwest Medical Aid, llame al (520) 622-2938 o envíe un email a sma@southwestmedicalaid.org.
La enseñanza social católica no es algo nuevo en nuestra fe, ni les era desconocida a los líderes espirituales que han servido en la Diócesis de Tucson. A continuación publicamos la tercera parte de una serie que nos muestra cómo los obispos practicaron la enseñanza social católica en su tiempo.
Francis Joseph Green nació un 7 de julio de 1906 en Corning, N.Y., pero se mudó a Prescott, AZ, después de la muerte de su padre en 1911. Asistió a la Academia San José donde las hermanas religiosas lo animaron para que ingresara en el seminario. Así, el comenzó sus estudios en el Colegio San José, en Mountain View, Calif., y al tiempo finalizó su formación en el Seminario San Patricio, en Menlo Park, Calif. Fue ordenado sacerdote el 15 de mayo de 1932. Después de sus primeros encargos, fue designado párroco de la Iglesia de San Pedro y San Pablo, Tucson. Más adelante recibió el título de monseñor y se desempeñó como vicario general de la Diócesis de Tucson.
En 1953 fue nombrado obispo auxiliar bajo el obispo Daniel J. Gercke. Luego fue coadjutor, y el 28 de septiembre de 1960 fue designado a ocupar el cargo de su predecesor.
El obispo Green asistió a las cuatro sesiones del Concilio Vaticano II, de 1962 a 1965.
Además de implementar las reformas del concilio, el obispo Green impulsó la expansión de programas de servicio a los pobres con la reestructuración de Caridades Católicas para dar paso a Servicios Comunitarios Católicos (CCS). Añadió el Centro de Salud Sta. Elizabeth y erigió instalaciones de atención de la salud en Nogales, Phoenix y Tucson. El obispo Green también participó en diálogos con representantes de otras religiones para abordar temas cívicos importantes.
Conforme a las reformas del Vaticano II, reinstituyó el diaconato local para, entre otros objetivos, aumentar la presencia del ministerio en las prisiones. También expandió la labor de CCS en materia de reasentamiento de refugiados. Dimitió a los 75 años de acuerdo con el Derecho Canónico, y su renuncia fue aceptada el 28 de julio de 1981. Falleció 13 años después.
Su sucesor, el obispo Manuel D. Moreno, nació el 27 de noviembre de 1930, en Placentia, Calif., en el seno de una familia de agricultores mexicanos migrantes. Su deseo era seguir una carrera en negocios y se graduó de UCLA en 1953 con un título de administración de empresas. Poco después de su graduación ingresó en el seminario después de haber considerado la gran necesidad de sacerdotes hispanos. Asistió al Seminario de Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles, en San Fernando, Calif., y al Seminario San Juan, en Camarillo, Calif. Fue ordenado sacerdote el 25 de abril de 1961 para la Arquidiócesis de Los Ángeles. Quince años después fue nombrado obispo auxiliar allí, antes de ser designado quinto obispo de Tucson el 12 de enero de 1982.
El obispo Moreno inmediatamente dio a conocer su visión para la diócesis celebrando su Misa de investidura en la histórica Misión de San Xavier en lugar de hacerlo en la Catedral de San Agustín. Desde ese momento centró sus esfuerzos en la evangelización y el desarrollo del liderazgo laico, especialmente de los hispanos. También colaboró en iniciativas de asistencia a migrantes mexicanos que enfrentaban obstáculos de índole moral y social en Arizona, y estableció una Oficina de Misión Social Católica en la Diócesis.
Presentó su renuncia por enfermedad el 7 de marzo de 2003, y falleció tres años más tarde.
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What is Catholic social teaching? |
It has been called "Catholicism's best kept secret," because few people learned about Catholic social teaching growing up, even though it the Bible is filled with examples and history shows repeatedly how it has played out in every culture and every time. This series will offer Catholic social teaching's seven themes, as identified by the US bishops. It will include stories about how the bishops of Tucson, dating back to their earliest days, put those basic teachings into practice. There will also be stories identifying ways that Catholics today can live out the social teaching of the church in their own lives. |
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Theme 7Care for God's CreationWe show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God's creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored. |
Katie Hirschboeck was teaching a class on Global Change in 2008 at the University of Arizona and noticed that her students were becoming increasingly depressed over the dire predictions surrounding global warming and other growing environmental concerns.
"There were terrible things our planet was undergoing," Hirschboeck said. "I had to give them hope."
Fast forward 10 years, and Hirschboeck, now semi-retired, continues her role as an educator, not of university students, but of Catholics and members of other religious groups who share a concern about the environment.
She still is bringing a message of hope.
In early October, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published a report stating that the world is only 12 years away from "climate change catastrophe."
Hirschboeck said that the damage is so severe that "we can slow it, but we probably can't reverse it."
The emphasis of climate experts now is dealing with the inevitable. "What I have been saying (for) probably the last five years is that adaptation is just as important."
Hirschboeck's career focused on tracking large flooding events and as they were recorded in tree rings. For more than a decade, she has used that science as a base for teaching the church's position on Care for God's Creation, the seventh theme of Catholic social teaching.
In 2011, Hirschboeck was appointed a Climate Change Ambassador, a designation by The Catholic Coalition on Climate Change. That made her one of only 25 professionals so designated to offer educational programs on climate change. She had studied all the moral teaching from the Vatican and the US bishops and was eager to share that knowledge.
Being named a Climate Change Ambassador gave her a new opportunity for talking about her two passions – the environment and her faith."I had a new vehicle where I could take the science and talk about it in the context of faith."
In 2015, Pope Francis released the encyclical Laudato Si, "On Care for our Common Home," placing environmental concerns at the center of Catholic social teaching. Later that year, 195 countries, including the United States, signed the Paris Agreement, which established a framework for reducing carbon emissions, a critical factor in global warming. However, two years later, President Donald J. Trump withdrew the US from the agreement, citing it as an undue restriction on US business interests. Trump also disputed the overwhelming scientific evidence that human actions were responsible for global warming.
Bishop Oscar Cantu, chairman of the US bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace, called the president's decision "deeply troubling."
"The impacts of climate change are already being experienced in sea level rise, glacial melts, intensified storms and more frequent droughts. I can only hope that the president will propose concrete ways to address global climate change and promote environmental stewardship," Bishop Cantu's statement read.
In 2009, Catholic Climate Covenant came up with a "St. Francis Pledge" that individuals could sign to show their support for environmental protections. In 2017, the group reissued the statement, renaming it as St. Francis/Laudato Si Pledge: "I pledge to pray, live, and advocate Laudato Si'."
On the Catholic Climate Covenant site, catholicclimatecovenant.org, the group wrote; "Now in light of Pope Francis' encyclical, which calls for urgent action on climate change and his invitation to everyone on the planet to care for our common home, we invite you to (re)commit or for the first time commit by taking the newly updated pledge."
Hirschboeck noted that groups are encouraged to read and sign a second document on the website, the US Catholic Climate Declaration. The declaration briefly lays out church teaching, concluding: "As Catholic communities, organizations and institutions in the US, we join with other institutions from across American society to ensure that the US remains a global leader in reducing emissions. We call for the administration to join the global community and return to the Paris Agreement."
Among the signatories from southern Arizona are the Diocese, the Kino Border Initiative, Nogales; Lourdes Catholic School, Nogales; Our Mother of Sorrows Parish, Tucson; and Santa Rita Abbey, Sonoita.
Hirschboeck, an OMOS parishioner and co-chairwoman of the parish's Care for Creation Initiative, said she is open to presenting a variety of seminars, workshops or retreats to parishes, schools or any interested group.
(pull quote if needed)Hirschboeck said she strongly believes that Care for Creation, the seventh theme of Catholic social teaching, really encompasses all six earlier themes, especially in the light of Laudato Si. (end)She started a blog, "Holy Ground, Common Ground," holygroundcommonground.blogspot.com/2018/02/blog-post.html, that among other things, made resources, such as a daily Lenten calendar, available to groups.
Her most recent program is a retreat, "There is Always Hope for a Tree." Hirschboeck shows how trees can overcome threats and survive, even if cut down. In promoting the retreat, Hirschboeck quotes St. Bernard of Clairvaux: "Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters."
When Hirschboeck speaks to a group, she is encouraged to find dedicated groups intent on following the church's teaching on the environment. "In every parish, there is somebody doing this work."
She credits this interest to media coverage of climate change. "We have terrible issues we have to deal with."
Hirschboeck is optimistic that as word spreads of her efforts, more parishes will want to invite her to speak. "I am always looking to make connections with other parishes."
She recently met Oscar and Diana Harper from Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Tucson, and discovered they shared a passion for care for creation and its importance to members of the Hispanic community. The Harpers translated the materials and assisted with the session she gave in that parish.
Hirschboeck cited a May 2017 study by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication which showed that more than 80 percent of Latinos acknowledge global warming, and more than 60 percent are either "very" or "extremely" concerned.
It's not just the parishes that discuss climate issues. In 2012, Lourdes Catholic School in Nogales received a St. Francis Care for Creation Award from the National Council of Catholic Women. It was one of only five recipients nationally. The award is given to "recognize schools that put their faith into action to reduce their carbon footprint, care for the 'least of these,' and raise the Catholic voice on behalf of the environment and the poor."
The students at the pre-K through 12 school won the award for improving their three-year-old organic garden, creating banners and displays that explained water cycles and for organizing a "Council of Creatures" in which students wore animal masks and talked about the creatures they were portraying.
At Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson in 2015, school leaders rolled out an interdisciplinary curriculum based on Laudato Si. That November, Salpointe representatives presented the curriculum to Carmelite leaders from around the world gathered in Rome.
Hirschboeck noted that these are all important – if incremental – steps at building awareness and understanding of this theme of Catholic social teaching. "We just have to continue to take baby steps."
Given the polarizing political rhetoric surrounding climate change and global warming, Hirschboeck said that the church plays a unique role in the discussions. "It's the one place where we can try to hold the middle together."
The fact that the pope sought the input of the world's best environmental scientists for the encyclical gave the document the grounding it needed. "Most scientists agree that there is no way we are not being affected by climate change."
She is not surprised that people living in wealthy countries might be fooled into believing that climate change isn't real or isn't as bad as some say. "That's because we are so separated from it compared to those who live in the developing world," said Hirschboeck. The reality is that nothing about climate change is unrelated. "Everything you touch is connected to something else."
People are sometimes skeptical because they can't see the change from one season to another or one year to the next. "This is really a slow-moving disaster."
In the 1950s, '60s and '70s, people who were fighting for the environment seemed to be hostile to the church, and the church was generally silent about it. However, since the pontificates of St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict, environmental issues have shifted into the mainstream of Catholic social teaching.
"I have seen it come to the forefront of the church," Hirschboeck said.
History gives her reason to hope, she added. In the 1970s, a major environmental concern was the depletion of the ozone layer, which helped shield people from harmful ultraviolet rays. Legislation in 1978 in the US and other countries barred the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) – a common compound used in aerosol sprays – and eventually an international treaty was signed that banned the use of CFCs worldwide. By 2016, there were signs that the ozone layer was beginning to recover.
"That happened because industrialized nations got together and said, 'We can make different compounds,'" Hirschboeck said. "Powerful people got together and decided to do it."
While the most obvious impact of climate change is global warming, melting of polar caps and rising sea levels, Arizonans will also be affected. Changing weather patterns will mean fewer winter storms, and a diminished snow pack feeding the nearby water sources like lakes and aquifers, Hirschboeck said. Even if summer and fall rains increase, it won't have the same long-range benefits that the snow packs provide.
"In the summer, the water evaporates rapidly, but the snow packs store the water and release it gradually," she said. "Water shortage is how climate change will most likely impact us."
Hirschboeck is resolved to continuing her education efforts, despite the national to dismantle environmental protections and abandon reforms begun under the Paris Agreement.
"It's because of my faith. I believe in the internal goodness of the human person," she said. "I can guarantee you that nothing will happen if you are not hopeful."
"We just have to listen to the earth and pay attention to where justice is call us."
To invite Hirschboeck to speak to your group, email hirschbo77@gmail.com.
Catholic social teaching is not new to the faith, nor was it foreign to the spiritual leaders who served the Diocese of Tucson. Below is the third part of a series showing how the bishops practiced Catholic social teaching during their time.
Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas came to the Diocese of Tucson on Oct. 30, 2001, as coadjutor bishop to Bishop Manuel D. Moreno. He became the sixth Bishop of Tucson when Bishop Moreno retired on March 7, 2003.
By the time Bishop Kicanas retired 5,320 days later, on Oct. 3, 2017, he had checked more boxes on each of the seven principles of Catholic social teaching than any of his predecessors, and equal to or greater than any other bishop of his time.Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger has been serving as the seventh Bishop of Tucson for about a year, and has already started to make his mark aligned with Catholic social teaching.
Bishop Weisenburger spoke out strongly against gun violence following the Florida Parkland High School shootings. He has visited the international border as families were being broken up trying to enter the country. He decried the administration's policy on immigration and visited families as they passed through Tucson to other US communities.RERUM NOVARUM ON CAPITAL AND LABOR 1891
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIII
http://w2.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_15051891_rerum-novarum.html
QUADRAGESIMO ANNO ON RECONSTRUCTION OF THE SOCIAL ORDER 1931
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS XI
http://w2.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_19310515_quadragesimo-anno.html
MATER ET MAGISTRA ON CHRISTIANITY AND SOCIAL PROGRESS 1961
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE JOHN XXIII
http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-xxiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_j-xxiii_enc_15051961_mater.html
PACEM IN TERRIS ON ESTABLISHING UNIVERSAL PEACE IN TRUTH, JUSTICE, CHARITY, AND LIBERTY 1963
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE JOHN XXIII
http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-xxiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_j-xxiii_enc_11041963_pacem.html
POPULORUM PROGRESSIO ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLES 1967
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI
http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_26031967_populorum.html
OCTOGESIMA ADVENIENS EIGHTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF RERUM NOVARUM 1971
APOSTOLIC LETTER OF POPE PAUL VI
http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_letters/documents/hf_p-vi_apl_19710514_octogesima-adveniens.html
LABOREM EXERCENS ON THE NINETIETH ANNIVERSARY OF RERUM NOVARUM 1981
APOSTOLIC LETTER OF POPE JOHN PAUL II
http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_14091981_laborem-exercens.html
CENTESIMUS ANNUS ON THE HUNDRETH ANNIVERSARY OF RERUM NOVARUM 1991
ENCYCLICAL BY POPE JOHN PAUL II
http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_01051991_centesimus-annus.html
COMPENDIUM OF THE SOCIAL DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH 2004
PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html
LAUDATO SI' ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME 2015
ENCYCLICAL BY POPE FRANCIS
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html
ENCYCLICAL OF ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH DIMITRIOS FOR THE INDICTION AND DAY OF PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 1989
https://www.patriarchate.org/-/message-by-h-a-h-ecumenical-patriarch-dimitrios-upon-the-day-of-prayer-for-the-protection-of-creation-01-09-1989-
BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO US 1979
PASTORAL LETTER ON RACISM
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/cultural-diversity/african-american/brothers-and-sisters-to-us.cfm
BISHOPS' STATEMENT ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, 1980
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/death-penalty-capital-punishment/statement-on-capital-punishment.cfm
THE CHALLENGE OF PEACE: GOD'S PROMISE AND OUR RESPONSE 1983
A PASTORAL LETTER ON WAR AND PEACE
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/war-and-peace/nuclear-weapons/upload/statement-the-challenge-of-peace-1983-05-03.pdf
ECONOMIC JUSTICE FOR ALL 1986
PASTORAL LETTER ON CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING AND THE U.S. ECONOMY
http://www.usccb.org/upload/economic_justice_for_all.pdf
WELCOMING THE STRANGER AMONG US: UNITY IN DIVERSITY 2000
STATEMENT ON IMMIGRATION
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/cultural-diversity/pastoral-care-of-migrants-refugees-and-travelers/resources/welcoming-the-stranger-among-us-unity-in-diversity.cfm
RESPONSIBILITY, REHABILITATION, AND RESTORATION: A CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE ON CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE 2000
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/criminal-justice-restorative-justice/crime-and-criminal-justice.cfm
FORMING CONSCIENCES FOR FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP A CALL TO POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITY 2015
FROM THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF THE UNITED STATES WITH INTRODUCTORY NOTE
http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/upload/forming-consciences-for-faithful-citizenship.pdf
OTHER KEY RESOURCES
POPE PAUL'S ADDRESS TO THE UNITED NATIONS 1965
https://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/speeches/1965/documents/hf_p-vi_spe_19651004_united-nations.html
CELAM CONFERENCE AT MEDELLIN 1968
http://www.povertystudies.org/TeachingPages/EDS_PDFs4WEB/Medellin%20Document-%20Poverty%20of%20the%20Church.pdf
CONFERENCE AT PUEBLA 1979
http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/speeches/1979/january/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19790128_messico-puebla-episc-latam.html
¿Qué es la enseñanza social católica? |
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Se le ha llamado "el secreto mejor guardado del catolicismo" porque no son muchas las personas que crecieron aprendiendo la enseñanza social católica, a pesar de que la Biblia está repleta de ejemplos, y la historia muestra una y otra vez cómo se ha manifestado en todas las culturas y en todos los tiempos. Esta serie ofrece los siete temas de la enseñanza social católica, identificados por los obispos de EE. UU. Se incluirán narraciones de cómo los obispos de Tucson, desde el principio, pusieron en práctica esas enseñanzas básicas en nuestro medio. También se presentarán artículos sobre diferentes maneras en que los católicos de hoy pueden aplicar la enseñanza social de la Iglesia en su vida diaria.
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Tema 7El Cuidado por La Creación de DiosNosotros mostramos nuestro respeto por el Creador cuidando la creación. El cuidado por la tierra no es sólo un eslogan para el Día de la Tierra; es un requisite de nuestra fe. Estamos llamados a proteger a las personas y al planeta viviendo nuestra fe en relación con coda la creación de Dios. Este desafío ambiental tiene dimensiones morales y éticas fundamentales que no pueden ser ignoradas. |
Katie Hirschboeck impartía una clase sobre el cambio global en la Universidad de Arizona en 2008 cuando se dio cuenta de que sus alumnos se sentían cada vez más deprimidos por las alarmantes predicciones sobre el calentamiento global y otras preocupaciones crecientes asociadas con el medio ambiente.
En el sitio web de la Alianza, catholicclimatecovenant.org, el grupo escribió: "Ahora, ante la encíclica del papa Francisco, que urge acción inmediata sobre el cambio climático, y su invitación a todos los habitantes del planeta a cuidar de nuestra casa común, los invitamos a comprometerse o renovar su compromiso a Laudato Si".
En la Preparatoria Católica Salpointe de Tucson en 2015 los líderes de la escuela pusieron en práctica un currículo interdisciplinario basado en Laudato Si. En noviembre de ese año, representantes de Salpointe presentaron el currículo a líderes carmelitas de todo el mundo reunidos en Roma.